The 49-year-old snake hips landed in the bottom two last weekend alongside Dragon Deborah Meaden after his routine was hampered by a hand injury sustained when he slipped in roller skates during training for his salsa.

Thankfully he was saved by the judges to dance – although perhaps, on seconds thoughts, not skate - another day. But his escape’s a mixed blessing.

It means every day he continues to face a slog more nerve-jangling than any fairground ride.

The actor works a 12-hour day on the set of hospital drama Casualty in Cardiff where he plays Dr Martin ‘Ash’ Ashford, before rushing to London for an intense four-hour Strictly training session with his professional partner Anya Garis.

He admits emotions are running so high he’s been reduced to tears in the practise studio.

(Image: BBC)

And now the rumour mill’s whispering he’s displaying diva-ish behaviour behind the scenes, with a show source reportedly claiming he’s failing to mix with his fellow contestants.

But the single dad of four, who’s practising the Quick Step for this weekend’s live show with no right hand, insists there’s only one reason he’s not socialising much backstage – he’s just plain knackered.

Talking to me from the sanctuary of his car during Casualty filming – the only place he seems to get any peace - he insists: “Being a diva says I’m not doing this or that, but I’m doing everything...

“I’m working 12 hour days, then doing Strictly , and I’m knackered, I’m not 25! When you have a chance to relax you don’t want to sit just chatting, you want to sleep.

“Some people are dancing all week, but I’m not, I’m working. I have no time to socialise.There’s no time for me to be having a drink. But I get on with literally everyone.”

(Image: BBC)

So seriously is the harangued star taking his ballroom dancing debut he’s even practising his moves in the car and in bed.

“I find myself trying to trace steps and visualise everything, it’s like the psychology of football, they say imagine scoring a goal, I go through all the steps constantly,” he explains.

“It more or less takes over your whole world.”

And Patrick, who returned to the BBC medical drama this year as Ash following a six year stint as the same character 17 years ago, was so overcome in one training session when he finally got things right, he broke down.

“If it clicks it’s quite a joy, it reduced me to tears because I got something,” he admits.

“No one knows what it’s like to do this show until they do it, it’s nerves and emotion and adrenalin and it builds up - going through it isn’t easy, it’s very much a rollercoaster.”

Patrick’s certainly impressed the judges with his natural rhythm since he hit the dance floor, but last weekend struggled following his skating injury.

(Image: BBC)

He says: “I fell backwards. I put my hand down and braced my fall, and thought “Oh, that feels a bit funny’, but I trained for two hours, making my hand worse.

“The next morning my hand wasn’t in a good way. There are always medical advisors on set at Casualty and they checked my hand and I went to hospital.

“I have an Inflamed Dorsal Capsule. The prognosis was to have the hand in a brace and have it elevated for at least two weeks. But I had to rehearse and dance a new dance. Yeah there’s pain, you can only take so many pain killers.”

This week Patrick is still unable to lift his partner with both hands – but he’s pushing ahead anyway.

He admits: “It’s affecting how things are going, lifts are out. But we are trying to incorporate as many other elements as possible.”

Patrick says he didn’t hesitate when he got the Strictly call up.

“I love to dance. When I go out it’s to dance, not to drink. When I go to a party I say ‘Is it a dancing party or a sit round eat cheese and talk nonsense party?’ If I’m not sweaty by the end of the night it’s not such a great night.”

(Image: PA)

Patrick made a conscious choice to pursue acting in his mid teens – despite showing clear talent as a footballer.

His cousin is former Arsenal and England star Ian Wright, but the actor decided not to follow in his nifty footsteps.

He says: “There was a chance a couple of times in my early days when a career as a professional footballer was a possibility. At 15 I had a choice, I was asked to try out at Southampton - but it was a Monday and that was drama night, and I chose to go to drama.

“Then at 19 I was at drama school and playing football for Welling United - they were keen for me to carry on - but I couldn’t do both. I have no regrets.”

Patrick grew up in London, the fifth of seven children. His dad was an electrician but Patrick’s love of acting grew at school and he joined the South East London School Drama Group at 14.

(Image: PA)

He later trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and joined the Royal Shakespeare Company. He was the first black man to play Romeo with the company.

He joined the cast of Casualty as Ash for the first time in 1990 until 1996, leaving to pursue projects in film and theatre,

In 2008 he joined the cast of The Bill as Detective Constable Jacob Banks. In January this year it was announced he would be re-joining Casualty to reprise his character Ash.

The star certainly doesn’t look old enough to have had a 17 year break from the show – and he puts his youthful looks down to keeping fit.

“My body is the tool I use to work,” he explains. “If you’re fitter you have more longevity in your career, and I’ve always been active.

“If you’re not sweating regularly you’re not helping yourself - that’s why I like to go out and dance.”